The Seed Drawer

I slipped past the front gate and trotted down the sidewalk until I reached the low potting bench by the community garden. Sitting on the weathered planks was a shallow wooden seed tray divided into four square pockets. Three glossy, dark brown buckeyes lay loose across the wood. Leaning forward, I rested one front paw on the pine rim. With a patient nudge of my nose, I rolled the first seed over the grain until it dropped into an empty compartment with a hollow clack. I nudged the second one neatly beside it, watching the polished shells settle into their quiet slots.